Fake service dogs sully reputation of real K-9 helpers

Liars undermine the work of real service dogs like this one. (Photo credit: Lisa Norwood / Flickr)

Fake service dogs are a real problem, akin to a perfectly able-bodied person hogging a handicap parking spot. An undercover reporter added to the problem one recent afternoon to prove a point – well, two points, really, one of which was that it was a slow news day.

New York Post reporter Tara Palmeri ‘fitted up her mom’s 3-foot-tall, 70-pound retriever-poodle mutt, Hampton, with a fake service vest and took him out to various restaurants and shops. Hampton jumped up on patrons and frayed nerves of maitre d’s legally forbidden by the Americans With Disabilities Act from asking for proof of the dog’s medical purpose.

“The city’s craziest, most badly behaved sons of bitches can run wild in the most elegant eateries in town — as long as they’re masquerading as service dogs,” Palmeri begins.

Hampton and Palmeri hit up a bakery, a grocery store, Starbucks and even the super-posh Le Cirque, where servers feted the pooch with a bowl of ice water.

“Hampton — showing off his phony “service dog’’ patch we had specially embroidered — happily slobbered as he wolfed down an 8-ounce salmon filet,” the piece continues.

Experts say that poser service animals spoil the reputation of real ones. Actual guide dogs are trained to not act out in public, unlike their civilian counterparts who jump up on laps and generally haven’t learned to reign in their excitement. SF Weekly profiled a particularly aggressive Chihuahua, Tita, in 2009, remarking on the ease with which any old creature, even a vicious lap pup, could gain certified service animal status.

“In San Francisco, snakes, lizards, pit bulls, chickens, pigeons, and rodents have all been declared service animals, hauled onto public transportation, housed legally in city apartments, and, essentially, given the full run of the city,” the story states.

ADA laws make it easy for anyone to obtain service papers for any old canine. You could also buy a vest online. But those same laws prevent anyone from asking for proof of the animal’s legitimacy, making it an easy stunt to pull if you’re absolutely insistent on bringing your dog to a white table cloth restaurant.

No legal repercussion exists for these regular dogs masquerading as helpers, but advocacy groups are fixing to change that. There’s a petition underway that’s calling the federal government to crack down on service dog fraud, including a ban on fake service dog vests sold online.

Ethics aside, it just seems like a huge hassle to go through just to bring your pet to dine out. Is it really that great?